In December I love getting my house ready for Christmas and making every room warm and welcoming for drinks with friends, meals with family and guests coming to stay. Here are my top ten tips for making your home Christmas-ready!

Add a wreath to your front door

Nothing says the start of the festive season more than the tradition of hanging a wreath on my front door. I love to make my own wreath with foraged greenery. Look for holly, ivy, pinecones and winter herbs and add bright berries and bundles of spices like cinnamon for a lovely natural wreath. 

Decorate the hallway

Make a welcoming entrance by decorating your hallway and staircase. I spend ages picking ivy from the hedgerows to wind around my bannisters, but there are also lots of incredibly realistic faux garlands which look wonderful draped over a mantelpiece or wrapped around a staircase.

Light a scented candle

Scented candles are essential for creating a festive atmosphere. Choose scents that are traditionally Christmassy like pine, fig and oud. Every shop now creates a special Christmas candle, and I can’t wait to light my first one every year.

Make snug places to relax 

Blankets and cushions layered up on your favourite sofa will create a cosy atmosphere. Look for different fabrics, textures and colours to create contrast and interest; chunky wool, fur and thick velvet fabrics are perfect for adding natural warmth.

Add some jewel colours

Rich jewel colours like deep navy blues, forest greens, dark pinks and dramatic plums are very on trend and will bring warmth to your interior scheme. Love dark colours? Got for it and try painting a feature wall.

Create a festive glow

Use lots of candles to create a warm festive glow. Dot clusters of church or column candles to spread out the light and warmth and add a bit of drama to your room, or hang some ring candles for a touch of class.

Make your kitchen cosy

At Christmas, I make a few changes to my kitchen to make it more of a welcoming sociable space than a functional room. I like to layer grey and white sheepskin rugs on my dining table chairs and benches for a ski-lodge vibe. A Scandi style candelabra on the kitchen table and some rustic place mats add to my Nordic vibe. 

Get table scaping

For me, Christmas is the time to pull out all the stops when dressing the dining table. I like to go for it with gold and silver metallics, sparkling crystal ware and iridescent accents. Match vintage silver candlesticks with coloured glass and mismatched dinnerware and add drama with a statement candelabra. 

Create a bar area

Create an area for making drinks and style it with Instagrammable bottles of spirits, glasses, my bar utensils, a cocktail mixer and an old school crystal decanter. A bowl of fruit and some herbs add a touch of style. 

Decorate your garden

Don’t forget to decorate your outside space. Fire pits are perfect for warming up cold guests. Add fairy lights add throws to snuggle up in. To light your space hurricane lamps are perfect.

With just a few small changes, you can make your home into a perfect Christmas-ready home.